In the living room, hearing Ralph’s instructions, Harriet clung to

his arm with a look of gratitude. “Thank you, Grandpa.”

Seeing this, Ralph patted Harriet’s arm andforted her, “I may not be capable of much, but I can certainly provide for you

for a lifetime”

Last time he was in the hospital, Ellsworth had behaved well,

but his actions over the past three years had already chilled

their hearts. And the things he said about his granddaughter-

Harriet might not mind, but Ralph remembered them.

He minded.

At Ralph’s reassurance, Harriet smiled and said, “Don’t worry,

Grandpa. I’ll take care of you in your old age. You won’t have to

worry about a thing.”

Ralph patted Harriet’s hand again, signaling that he believed

her. He also knew she had suffered a lot these past few years.

After their conversation, Ralph said it had been a long time

since he yed chess, so he pulled Harriet along to y with

him.

After a few rounds, as they started a new game, Harriet looked

at Ralph seriously and said, “Grandpa, it’s gettingte. This will

be thest game for today. I’ll y with you again next time.”

Ralph stared intently at the chessboard. “Alright, alright. But I’m

not going to go easy on you this round.”

Hearing Ralph’s words, Harriet smiled and continued to y

chess with him.

Not long after, just as Ralph was about to lose, Harriet’s phone

rang from where it was ced nearby.

She picked up the phone unhurriedly and nced at the

number. The lively look on her face instantly turned heavy.

Holding a chess piece in her hand, Harriet answered the call

and asked gently, “Is something wrong?”

On the other end of the line, Ellsworth’szy voice came

through: “Do you know what time it is? Aren’t youing

home?”

At Ellsworth’s question, Harriet looked up at Ralph, then said, “I’m staying home tonight to keep Grandpapany. I won’t be

going back to Auburn Heights.”

If it had been a few days ago, with Patsy at Auburn Heights, she

would have had to consider appearances and go back.

Buttely, since Patsy hadn’t been staying at Auburn Heights,

Harriet didn’t have as many concerns.

On the other end, Ellsworth listened to Harriet’s words in

silence.

Seeing this, Harriet said to him, “If there’s nothing else, I’ll hang

up now. Get some rest early.”

With that, not waiting for Ellsworth to respond, Harriet hung up

the phone and continued ying chess with Ralph.

Back at Auburn Heights, Ellsworth listened to the beeping of the

disconnected call, then tossed his phone onto the cab

beside him with a thud.

With both hands in his pockets, Ellsworth gazed at the night

outside the yard, his expression dark.

In the past, it was always Harriet who waited up all night for him

toe home.

Now, it was his turn to wait in vain for Harriet’s return.

His eyes calm as he looked out at the yard, Ellsworth suddenly found himself curious about the person mentioned in Harriet’s

diary.

With that thought, Ellsworth turned around, grabbed his suit jacket, and headed downstairs.

At the Chavez’s mansion, after hanging up on Ellsworth, Harriet checkmated Ralph in just a few moves, then urged him, “Grandpa, it’s already ten o’clock. You should get some rest. I’l y with you again tomorrow.”

Ralph, leaning on his cane with his right hand, got up unhurriedly and said, “Alright, alright, we’ll continue tomorrow.”

Seeing Ralph get up, Harriet quickly helped him to his bedroom

and took care of him until he was settled in for the night.

After leaving Ralph’s room, Harriet looked up at the sky. There

were many stars tonight, and the moon was full

Gazing at the familiar night scenery around her, thinking about

Ellsworth’s call just now, yesterday’s farce, Kelsey, and the past

Chapter77

three years, Harriet let out a gentle sigh.

There’s no going back. She and Ellsworth could never go back.

Withdrawing her gaze, she looked at the flowers and nts in

the yard. Harriet felt healed again, as if she had returned to three years ago, before she married Ellsworth.

Once the divorce was finalized, she would spend a few good

years at home with her grandfather and get her life back on

track.

From now on, she would live for herself.

After staying in the yard for a while, Harriet went back upstairs

to her room.

Although the Chavez’s mansion was a traditional courtyard

house, it had been renovated into two stories. She had lived on

the second floor since childhood. The front window overlooked

the flowers and nts, while the back window looked out onto

the big tree in the yard-a hidden paradise in the middle of the

city.